Automatic feeder



L. P. STOKER AUTOMATIC FEEDER Nov. 3, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 2, 1949 L. P. STOKER AUTOMATIC FEEDER Nov. 3, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 2, 1949 LYMfM R SID/(ER L. P. STOKER AUTOMATIC FEEDER 4 Nov. 3, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 2, 1949 L. P. STOKER AUTOMATIC FEEDER Nov. 3, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 2, 1949 awn/v R 370/:5/2

awe/v ran QZTOIENl-Z Y Nov. 3, 1953 Filed June 2, 1949 L. P. STOKER 2,657,784

AUTOMATIC FEEDER 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 LVMfi/V f? STOK INVENTOR Patented Nov. 3, 1953 UNITED STATES 'PATE OFF AUTDMAIIC FEEDER Lyman PauLStoker, San Francisoopcalit. s

AppIicationJune-Z; 1949,,Serial No. 96,708

8 Glaimse- (Cl. 1985 211) 1 This invention relates to a feeding mechanism. and particularly anautomatic feedingomechae: nism for continuously feeding shortboards in. batches of :uniform lengthnandr the like,. :such ass; boxv shock, on edge: tore-sawing or; other re.-=a

working machines.

Automatic feeders of this, 'general acharacter;

have been tried; in sawmills. and box: factories;

and'their lackzof successrhasxbeenzdueto atileastu one. of: the several 1operatingadeficiencies :or:

Present "equipe;

limitations. mentioned below. mentsior .feeding shook. and. .the like delivers boardsi'with'a minimum: spacing: of :two or :three inches betweenpachzpiece, transmittinga (18-. structive shocksto" the: :resaw orother re-working machines: in addition to materially cutting .down

the output. Boards orrother units-two inchesor less inthickness and eightinches or morein' length will not remainzupright;inzfeeding -position oni-thefeed table at-desirable rates of speed forfeed; :with: machineryrpresently, available;--

when successive pieces :are'strippedxofi the end of the stack: and: deliveredto -.the.-.next machine.-. Likewise insome equipment-now available, there is no coordination of action betweenthetransfer rolls and the device for feeding stock. tonthese r01ls.. 'Thus, jamming of the stock at..the en trance-to the; rolls is a constant cause of .failure; of these machines. Inzfeeding machines of this type, it is necessary-that they be adaptedjto acr.

commodate. runs for different sized: stockrover a very Wide-mange; present manufacture do provide forsuch adjust:

ment, the adjustments often require. special tools, andin-any event, are not-easily made-, with the:

result that the use of themaohine is reduced-by the time consumedinmaking. theqadjustments. In addition, machines now loeingvusecl;for.this;

purpose are heavy, bulky pieces of equipment; which factors limit their usefulness materially,

and prohibit their use where space limitations;

are critical.

locationsrnot possible heretofore.

It is also anzobjeot .to provide an improved deavice-of the-character described'herein whichaxwill' feed, short pieces of lumberin {substantially t me:

While. the, machines. of v :the'

2 form rpreecutzlengthsg Lon edges to reeworklngi machines rat's; higlr'rate :of 1 speedeandxwitlr a smooth: continuousz rate all .without intermittentcmotion or gap between pieces I It .is a: further object of the present; invention to accomplish thdstrippingxofunits-or piecesaof. stock onezataa timerifrom a.moving...hor'montal com eyor.=.withoutidisturbing the;.remaining;stock:; oniethe pconveyorxrtobthezxextent: that any piece: therein loses'zi-ts- '-uprigh't5pOS-il11'On.2 Thetsamehre sult canqlikewisewbe':accomplisheda in feeding more than one individual; piecerat eatimet Itis a furtheriobject of thenpresent invention to -,provide a machineuhavinareadily accessible means? built: inas a part-..of:-the structure for. quickly and convenientlymaking the; adjustments required to faccommodate changeswin length", width-and thickness of stock as-may; @be requiredfor each: run; for-making the changes in the rate of !feed .to the .reeworking-w machine and the changes inv theE number. of units ied- :atiany" one. time. by the machine fonre-workingt purposes; all? without requiring: the. .-use. .of .tools. .to accomplish: thesenresultsa- It .isalso aniobjectz of the :present invention to provide improved meansof imparting opposite rotation .-to 1 each. .of a pair ;of .rolls acting syn. chronouslv .'from .a' single, source of 1 power --.with. theireaxes ,-par-al1el at r3311 times; the. rolls! being;

. resiliently: mounted; and. the 1 distancembetween:

them being; readily adjustable It is a further .obiectsto provide a: devioeofthe classdescribed :which, will. accommodate. the feeding. ofhstrippingpfatwo oramore units: forsimultaneous delivery tone-working" machines,

Further objects are .to provide a constructionof maximum simplicitmgeconomy and ease of a-- sembly) and *disassembly and such further obj ects, advantages and: capabilities 1- aswvill appeal. .to those skilled in .this. art and 1 as are: inherently possessedcbywthe device andcazthez-inventiontde scribed1 herein..i:\.

The? invention further resides -in.:the combine;- 7 tion; construction and arrangement of parts il-. lustrated -in the" i accompanying drawing; and while there is shown therein a preferred embodi mentthereof, it is to be understoodthat the sameis merely illustrat-iveof the-invention and thatthe" invention 'is =capablefi of modificationan'd" change and comprehends other. :details of con:- stuction without departingifrom the spirit thereof or the scopeof .the. appended claims.

Referring. to .the. drawings;

g Figure ,1 is a top plan view. of .the device ,of .the-

3 present invention adapted for feeding box shook on edge to a resaw.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the device shown in Figure 1 viewed from the right hand side.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail in plan view with a portion broken away to expose the stripping mechanism.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary elevational view partly in section viewed from the right hand end of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view taken from the rear of Figure 3 to further expose the stripping mechanism.

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the stripping action and delivery of individual pieces to the feed rollers.

Figure 7 is similar to Figure 6 and together with it shows the progressive stations in the delivery of individual pieces to the feed rolls.

Figure 8 is a side elevational view partly in section from the left hand top portion of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional detail taken on the lines IXIX of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a schematic view of the adjustable drive mechanism for the feed rolls.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the manner in which the oppositely rotating feed rolls are adjusted with respect to the distance between their respective axes.

Figure 12 is a broken perspective view of the carriage to which the movable roll is attached.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, in which like reference numerals have been used to specify and identify similar part in the several views, the complete structure is best shown by reference to Figures 1 and 2. The device is mounted upon and carried by a framework of suitable height which consists primarily and essentially of a front post l5 and a rear post l6. These posts are spaced by means of carriage rails I1 and I8 which are preferably angle irons welded or otherwise secured thereto so as to present at either side an inwardly directed V of 90, substantially as shown in Figure 9. Below rails l1 and I8, and likewise secured to the front and rear posts, are a pair of oppositely disposed motor rails or supports 20. Extending from and attached to the main frame just described are outrigger supports each of which consists primarily of a sidepost 2|, 2. conveyor suport 22, and crossbeams 23.

The conveyor or primary feed mechanism for the device, which is sometimes referred to in the art as a table-type feeder, eliminates much of the mechanism heretofore thought necessary. In this instance the table consists of a pair of conveyor chains 24 and 25, composed of individual flat links, which travel in the direction of the arrow 26. The chain drive sprockets 21 and 28 are mounted on drive shaft 30 and rotate as a unit. Idler sprockets 3| and 32 rotate on stub shaft 33 carried by identical supporting frame members 34 and 35. The conveyor chain 24 with its supporting frame 34 is mounted in a fixed position longitudinally with respect to the device. Although the conveyor chain 25 is substantially identical to 24, its supporting frame 35 is mounted on the conveyor support 22 in such a manner as to be movable and adjustable in position laterally with respect to conveyor chain 24 but maintained substantially parallel thereto. This adjustment is for the purpose of accommodating lengths of boards for any particular run. This lateral adjustment is made by rotating the 4 movable conveyor adjusting screw handle which rotates the adjusting screw 31.

The motor 38 is the single source of power for operating this machine. There are, however, two takeofis from the reduction gear 40 driven by this motor through a variable pitch pulley 4|. The horizontal takeoff 42 drives through a pair of speed changing pulleys 43 to a pulley 44 through a jack shaft 45 to chain 46 which engages the sprocket which rotates shaft 30 and causes the conveyor chains 24 and 25 to move synchronously. The vertical takeoff 41 drives the rolls 50 and 5| in opposite directions synchronously and positively, in the manner shown diagrammatically in Figure 10. Referring to Figure 10, the vertical takeoff 41 is in a fixed position and because positive synchronous rotation is desirable, chain drive is preferably employed. The sprocket on takeoff 41 drives chain 52 which engages sprocket 53 driving roll 50, passes around idler sprocket 54 to sprocket 55 driving roll 5|, and back to the sprocket of takeoff 41. Since the roll 5| is adjustable in connection with its spacing from roll 50, in the same plane as their respective axes, the drive shaft 55 is not a fixed point. In order to accommodate the length of drive chain 52 to the various adjustable positions of roll sprocket 55, idler sprocket 54 is mounted on the same carrier as roll 5| and its drive sprocket 55, so that when sprocket 55 is adjusted to a new position, an equal adjustment is applied to idler 54 at the same time. When the carriage is moved and with it sprockets 55 and 54 to a new adjusted position, such as that shown in broken lines in Figure 10 for example, the length of the path traversed by chain 52 remains substantially unchanged so that the initial tautness of the chain 52 is maintained without any other adjusting means or requirement.

Adjacent the rear post l5 and above carriage rails I1 and I8 is a bridge or plate 51 which supports the bearing 58 for the roll 50. The upper bearing 60 is supported by the upper bearing plate 5|. As indicated before, the axis of roll 50 is maintained in a fixed position on the machine.

The adjustable roll 5| is mounted on the carrier base plate 62 at one end thereof adjacent the roller 50. The carrier plate 62 has suitably mounted thereon along its longitudinal edges, angle irons 63 which outwardly present open V-shaped grooves as shown in Figures 9 and 12. These grooves, in conjunction with their corresponding grooves formed by carriage rail l1 and I8 serve as a raceway for ball bearings 64 permitting frictionless, resilient and accurate adjustment of the carriage in a horizontal plane. Since roll 5| is mounted on the carriage, the roll 5| can be moved to the precise adjustment to accommodate the thickness of the pieces for any run, as will be described later. It will also be observed that this construction prevents all other motion of the carriage except the lineal motion specifically provided and required. This is essential because the axis of roller 5| must be maintained parallel to the axis of roll 50 and in the same vertical plane. The lineal movement of the carriage bedplate 62 is accomplished by rotating the handle 55 which in turn rotates the screw 66 in fixed nut 61. Although the carriage roll 5|, which is mounted thereon, is adjustable longitudinally as before described, it is also resiliently mounted to provide limited movement in any adjusted position. The nut 61 is not rigidly secured to the bracket 68 on the carriage plate 62 and which supports it. Rather, nut 61, which is carried by and inequalities in the same objects.-

Stripping mechanism It will be observed from the. arrow flishowmin: Figure 1 that the stackofobjectsorpieceszllsto. be delivered either singly or in groups-to "the re saw or other operation pass linearly :to the and.

of the devicewhere the rolls are located.'..As. the* objects it approach the delivery end otthe conveyors 24 and 25, they contact the aligning-guide As: the progress of the individuals :14 con-- "i5. tinue, the first one M, contacts trigger 80 whichis depressed to the position shown in Figures fi and 7. This causes the stripper mechanism,-gen-- erally designated st, to deliverthe first unit 14,

to the rolls. After delivery of the first unit,contact with the trigger deliveryaction is delayed for clearance of the preceding unit as will later'bedisclosed. I

The delivery mechanism generally designated 8 3, comprises several elements including a-doubleacting air cylinder82; and a four-way valve 83. The outlet ports'84 and 85 of the valve Bil-"areeomiected to opposite ends of the air cylinder 82' at Stand 8'! respectively through-flexible connections 88 and 89; Compressed airis supplied to the valve through inlet air passage 90. Valve piston 9! passes longitudinally through the body of valve 83 and extends beyond either end thereof. It is actuated by the combined action of trigger 8B; trigger spring 92; valve spring 93which is a leaf spring, plunger pin 94 and bell crank 95.- It should also be observed that the trigger 8n-is likewise a bell crank being provided with arm 96." The air cylinder 82 and the valve 83are mounted on and carried by bracket 91, The bracket 91is mountedon fixed beam as and is adjustable along it to position it and accommodate it to various length objects M. For quick action the bracket 9'! moves freely within'the fixed beam 98 and is retained in position by the screw Hill which is rotated. by handle IGI to bearagainst the fixed beam 98.

Operation of the r nrinadevice.

The line 9t leading to the valve-83 is connected to a supply of compressed air whichis delivered to the interior of valve 83. In the position-shown in Figure l, the object M has not yet contacted the trigger to. The plunger I62 within the air cylinder 82 is retract-ed to the cooked positionready to act upon an individual object 14; when it is in a position to be fed-to the rolls 50 and 5|: Referring to Figure 7, when theobject "con tacts trigger 3d, the tension of compression spring- 92 is overcome by thephysical depressionef trig ger 88. When the trigger 89 is depressed-the arm 96 is rotated clockwise out of contact with the valve piston EL. Pressure. excited by leaf spring 93 on plungerildand bell crank .95 onthe. opposite endof valve. piston .9l forces it to its; ex.-.. treme left position. In this position: of Va1ves.&3..= air is delivered throughthe outlet port 84 .through line. 88. to .port to of the. air cylinder; 83: causing; the plungerluz toexertisuddeni ressur :onthe.

endeofztherpbiect mi,- forcingsit betweemtheirollss 50 and 5|. The extreme delivery movementxot. the plunger; l 02 "is showmin dotted lines in Figure '7. The deliveryand stripping. f aniindividualob-xq ject-M to'therolls fills-andilrisat right angles.= to the" path; of the-conveyors. Accordingly, as soon asthefiindividual=J4has passed the endof trigger: 80, spring 92 rotates trigger -a-to return.

it again to the position shown-inFigure lacausing: arm HS-to bear against valvepiston =91 swithca force greater than that exerted-bydspring- 93 through plunger pin M ami-bell crank 95 on the opposite end of .piston -91 and moves piston 9| to: its extreme right-- position. In this position v of r valve 83 port-84 is open to atmosphere and-compressed: air is delivered through port -85*-to the air cylinder through port 8'! accomplishing the return of plunger I02-to itscocked position. For the sake of simplicity and ease of understanding of Y theoperation; the above-has described the structure and" events which take, place when-the first objector, initial 'piece reaches the feedingposition and-contacts-trigger 80;

It is apparent that as successive-objects-14'ap-' proach the feeding position-they will immediately Y contact trigger 80 'anddepress it.- However,- ac'- tion of the plunger l 02 must be delayed until the;- moment theflindivi'dua'l item "14 immediately pre-; ceding it is clear of the followingobject 1,4; shown in Figure 6, the object 141 delivered-to the" rolls Strand 5! has passed a sufficient-distance through the feed rolls 'topermit 'the conveyor' chains. 24 Land 25 to advance the end'of piece-H so as to contact and depress thev trigger 80: As shown in Figure 6, object T42 is not then in position to be fed to the rolls and, therefore the 310-. tion of the plunger )2 'must be delayed until the object M1 has passed'a sufficient distancethrough the rollers to clearthe end of object 142 which immediately follows. This action and positioning is shown in Figure 7.

The mechanism accomplishing. the delayed ac tion, of the stripper plunger I02 comprises the following: a square bar [04.mounted withinthe, stripping beam. 98 for rotatable movement; a timer lever l03-is mounted onthe' shaft lD4ifor rotating movement therewith, adjacent the rolls. Atthe opposite end of shaft lMnadiac'entleaI'; spring 93and above it is hub 1.05 having adepending tongue or. lever I 06 integral therewith...-

This hub 1051s carriedin bracket bearings. IB'L Infthe' positionshown in Figure 4, the object 141 being fed into the rolls 50 and.5| engages the. timer lever I03 preventing it from. rotating ill-,3, clockwise direction under the; action of spring 83. Theuhub ,being mounted for clockwise 1-0-- tatable movement with the timer lever |03- and? rod-I04, is maintained in the position shown in Figure 4 so that its depending tongue or lever I06 prevents leaf spring 93;from"e,xerting any: force against the, plunger pin $14.1 .,It will be ap -r parent; that. .:as::thei feeding QfvObjCCtS 741 icon! t nuesthrough the rollers, the: end'willpassbeez yond, engagement withtimer lever-1'03. permitting.

leafsspring. 83.120. exertits 1 pressure against.

plunger pin 94.. When: this is done, the. va1ve;83: operates. inthe manner described. before. to .cause. the plunger 102 to exert, pressure against. the. end of object 142 to :feed ,it immediately into, the. rollsi 5fl and-5l. This position is illustrated'inFigureaDd'IShOWS-HIQC object 5M2. follows immediately i hind Q ieot v1141 so gthat object: becomes, in: efiectsa. continua -'on..-, o,f object-(.141:iwithom; t ltven na LBPQflQ-na'lhiS action continues: as dongs as objects 14 are placed on the conveyor chains 24 and 25.

-The timing of the stroke of the stripper plunger I02 for objects 142 from the position of object H1 in the rolls, makes it possible to adjust the speed of the conveyor chains 24 and 25 to that only slightly greater than required to bring object 142 in contact with trigger 80 by the time object 141 has travelled far enough through the rolls that object 142 can be fed. Thus the stack of objects on the conveyor chains can proceed at a steady, uniform rate, without sudden accelerations as each piece is stripped from the forward end of the stack. It is this feature which permits long but thin objects or pieces to be fed on edge, and retain their upright feeding position throughout their travel on the conveyors, without external means of stabilizing.

I claim:

1. A feed mechanism for the continuous and contiguous feed of a series of subjects comprising in combination a trigger for engaging with each successive subject to be fed, a plunger for delivering a blow to the subject to feed the same to abut the immediately preceding subject in response to the engagement of said trigger, a pair of oppositely disposed rolls for accepting such feed, and automatic timer control means for positively delaying the action of said plunger until the subject immediately ahead has cleared.

2. A feed mechanism for continuous and contiguous delivery of boards to reworking machines comprising in combination a trigger for engaging each board as it reaches the point of delivery, a plunger for delivering a sudden blow to the board in the delivery position to abut the immediately preceding board in response to the engagement of said trigger, a pair of oppositely disposed rolls for accepting such delivery, and automatic timer control means for positively delaying the action of said plunger until the board immediately ahead of the board in delivery position has passed beyond it.

3. A feed mechanism for continuous and contiguous delivery of boards to reworking machines comprising in combination a trigger for engagin each board as it reaches the point of delivery, a plunger adjustable with respect to the length of board in any run, for delivering a sudden blow to the board in the delivery position to bring it into abutment with the immediately preceding board in response to the engagement of said trigger, a pair of positively driven rolls for accepting delivery of said boards, and automatic timer control means for positively delaying the action of said plunger until the board immediately ahead of the board in delivery position has passed beyond it.

4. In an automatic machine for continuously and contiguously feeding and stripping a batch of edge-supported rectangular objects having a substantially uniform pre-cut length, the combination which comprises a horizontal feeding mechanism adjustable normal to the direction of feed for supporting the said objects transversely thereon during the forward movement thereof, a. pair of oppositely driven strippin rollers adapted to feed the said objects progressively, contiguously and in predetermined aligned relationship along a transverse delivery path, one of th said stripping rollers being adjustable and resiliently mounted to provide limited longitudinal movement in any adjusted position, and a delivery mechanism for the contiguous delivery of said objects to the said stripping roller oper- 8. able to delay the transfer of each successive object from the horizontal feeding mechanism to the said stripping rollers in such a manner as to prevent jamming at the entrance thereof.

5. In an automatic machine for continuously and contiguously feeding and stripping a plurality of edge-supported rectangular objects having a substantially uniform pre-cut length, the combination which comprises a horizontal feeding mechanism adjustable normal to the direction of feed for supporting the said objects transversely during the forward movement thereof, a pair of stripping rollers oppositely driven by a single chain drive and adapted to feed the said objects successively and in predetermined abutting relationship along a transverse delivery path, one of the said stripping rollers being laterally adjustable with respect to the other such roller without substantially changing the initial tautness of the said chain drive, and a delivery mechanism for the contiguous delivery of said objects to said stripping rollers responsive to the transverse movement of the said objects and operable to delay the transfer of each successive object from the horizontal feeding mechanism to the said stripping rollers in such a manner as to provide a continuous, contiguous feed of work through the rolls while substantially eliminating jamming at the entrance of the said stripping rollers.

6. In an automatic machine for continuously and contiguously stripping and feeding individual batches of edge-supported boards and the like having substantially uniform pre-cut length, the combination which comprises a power-driven horizontal feed mechanism adapted to support the work transversely thereon during the progressive forward movement thereof, means associated with the said horizontal feed mechanism for quickly adjusting the width thereof in accordance with the pre-cut length of the said work, a pair of power-driven rollers adapted to impart a stripping action to each of the said boards and to feed the same at a smooth and continuous rapid rate along a predetermined transverse delivery path while preserving the predetermined upright relationship thereof, and a delivery mechanism having means associated therewith automatically operable to delay the transfer of successive boards from the horizontal feeding mechanism to the said stripping rollers until the board immediately ahead is free and clear of the following board.

7. In an automatic machine for continuously and contiguously stripping and feeding individual batches of edge-supported boards and the like having substantially uniform pre-cut length, the combination which comprises a power-driven horizontal feed mechanism adapted to support the said work transversely thereon during the progressive forward movement thereof, adjusting means for varying the width of the said horizontal feed mechanism in accordance with the pre-cut length of the said work, a pair of power-driven rollers adapted to impart a stripping action to each of the said boards and to feed the same at high speed along a predetermined transverse delivery path without intermittent motion and without gaps between adjacent boards, one of the said stripping rollers being adjustably mounted to vary the spacing between the said rollers in accordance with the width of the said boards, and a delivery mechanism responsive to the transverse movement of the said boards and adapted to automatically delay the transfer of 9 successive boards from the horizontal feeding mechanism to the said stripping rollers in such a manner as to provide a continuous and contiguous feed of work through the said stripping rollers while preventing jamming at the entrance thereof.

8. In an automatic machine for continuously and contiguously stripping and feeding a plurality of edge-supported boards and the like having substantially uniform pre-cut length, the combination which comprises a horizontal tabletype feeder adapted to support the said boards transversely thereon during the progressively forward movement thereof, quick-acting means for manually varying the width of the said horizontal feeder in accordance with the pre-cut length of the said work, a pair of power-driven rollers adapted to impart a stripping action to each of the said boards and to feed the same at high speed along a predetermined transverse delivery path in continuous motion and without gaps between adjacent boards, one of the said stripping rollers being adjustably and resiliently mounted to provide limited longitudinal movement in any adjusted position, and a cam controlled pneumatic plunger operable to transfer successive boards from the horizontal feeding mechanism for contiguously feeding said boards to the said stripping rollers whenever the board immediately ahead is free and clear of the following board.

LYMAN PAUL STOKER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 584,027 Wilkinson June 8, 1897 1,273,516 'Mardon et a1 July 23, 1918 1,716,742 Smith et al. June 11, 1929 1,798,834 Campen Mar. 31, 1931 1,838,780 Miller et al. Dec. 29, 1931 

